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Teela Variants

Hi Everyone,

Just having some problems working this one out thought someone might be able to clear it up for me.
I've had 2 of these for years. My understanding was I have red boots and a brown boots versions of Teela.

But today I've picked up another version. You can see the picture below I now have some sort of half breed Teela
with brown boots but red hair. So I guess the question is what am I looking at.
I don't have a super knowledge on such things and would love some feedback from other users.

My thoughts are possible bootleg, Or Chop shopped repair job. Or are there Brown hair red boot variants as well.

Anyway any help greatly appreciated. I've been a lurker on the boards for years. I'd made some post back in the day but wasn't here for a while and had to get a new account same user name though I think. Sorry if this is the wrong place to post such a question.
So even if you wanna say hi or welcome. Love to hear your thoughts.

The first and the second one (both have some accessories) are vintage Teela figures made in Hong Kong, and the third (the ugliest) one without any accessory is Commemorative (made in China). Also check out how different feet are on commemorative figure from the underside.

Wow, Mantisaur! Now I want a Teela from India. Her face paint is lovely! I didn't know that variant existed.

I like Taiwan variant the best, also Mexico... but Indian Teela has an unique feature, check the breasts of the figure in the middle at this photo (white fur on boots is custom painted, not original) she has nipples:

Mantisaur, that's too funny. Thanks for the pix! That reminds me of the Batman movie a few years ago where Clooney's armor had them!

I like Indian variant very much, just because of that detail.
If you look at male MOTU figure you can see that they all have sculpted nipples (especially detailed in Zodac/Beast Man/Stratos). Even Tung Lashor, which is "reptilian" has them (for some weird reason)... :P

Then why it would be a strange on a sculpt of a woman figure???
Our culture in general is well known by considering normal the fact that Mattel's Barbie doll (and many other dolls) has breasts without nipples (like that is something which shouldn't be present on the plastic human "model"), so I like very much that people in India added that part on the original sculpt and make their Teela figure more detailed, more anatomically correct and undiscriminating comparing to male figures with nipples.

Hmm...I guess I thought it was odd because I always assumed that Teela's costume was mostly armor, and that what's she's wearing on her chest is a breastplate. But, in thinking about it, I am totally wrong - if she is wearing a breastplate, she'd have no need for her snake armor!

And I never noticed about whether the male characters have them or not. I'm going to check to see if Mer-Man does, because he is another character (like Tung Lashor) who is decidedly NOT a mammal!

One of the things I love about the MOTU women is that the are most definitely NOT Barbie. Thanks for the food for thought!

The first and the second one (both have some accessories) are vintage Teela figures made in Hong Kong, and the third (the ugliest) one without any accessory is Commemorative (made in China). Also check out how different feet are on commemorative figure from the underside.

Thanks for that Info I must check my profile settings to email me notifications and Apologize I didn't realize someone had replied.
If I can just redirect everyone's attention away from the nipples for a moment
And back to the variants in question. Am I right in assuming I have a Brown and Red Boots variant from Hong Kong. This was always what I thought.
I have the missing parts there just not pictured. And this re-issue is a figure I've just acquired in a lot Everything else is vintage as it should be.
I have a couple of the re issue figures but I've never opened them. So I can't see there feet. I was under the Impression though that the re issues have grooves in their feet. But maybe the girls are different. And honestly I missed that. I knew she was made in china it's printed on her back But it seems strange for her to be dated 1981 on the back of her neck. The accessory's also say China but I've made a boo boo and might have swapped their staffs I matched the colors but is there another way to tell what staff belongs where.
To me the vintage ones look a little more detailed and just a little thicker around the tip of the snakes head. I've gone through plenty of these teela's trying to piece together the best one I could be a shame to have the wrong piece with her. Overall I'm pretty happy with them. Glad to find out though that it was re issue before I sold it as a vintage one or something that it's not. But I got no room for loose re issues So back to the Nipples hey I would think if this was a strategy It would be because Mum's back in the day wouldn't have bought you a figure with nipples You can understand it more with a Barbie figure Cause they'd almost technically be pornographic with nipples. And I'd be more concerned about poor old Ken Not sure if he had nipples but I'm sure he had other things on his wish list.

Accessories marked China are always from commemorative figures.
No vintage MOTU figures that are marked China except on some of the cards.
Your Teela is commemorative based on her face paint job and underside of her feet.

Yeah of course I don't disagree. Like you said she's quite Ugly. I'm also impressed with the info you gave me.
None of the Staffs have any marking though. I interchanged some of the parts because they where a little neater than my vintage ones.
1 vintage shield is marked Hong kong and one has no markings. Neither of my vintage armor has markings either.
The shield and Armor where easy as they say China. This is the first one I've ever seen from china. That was my reason for starting the Thread
Just trying to make sure I don't mix that re issue staff in there by mistake.
My brown boots teela has slightly darker accessory's. It 's the red boots one I'm concerned about.
Would also be great if you could confirm I'm on the right path with the other two being red and brown boots variants.
I'm just a modest collector and I in no way am trying to say your wrong. I'm only trying to learn. Maybe you just mistook what I said.
As far as the stamp on the back of her neck goes (my camera isn't that great and won't pick it up)
But it says M.I.1981 CHINA I'm sure you can understand I didn't even consider it a re issue until you told me so. And don't doubt at all your right.
I would of though such a figure would be dated 2000 or 2001. I looked at the feet before starting this tread. but was only looking for them to be like the male re issue feet. I'm just digging for info that I couldn't find in the archive. Cause I thought I was looking at a vintage boot leg maybe.

No problem man. I don't have any of the commemorative figures so I can't confirm that they are stamped based on the year of the original figure production. But That's probably the reason why your Teela has 1981 mark (that is present on all of the vintage Teela figures no matter which year/country they are reissued during 80's).

From Hong Kong Teela there are some differences based on the head mold, there are ones with the same head sculpt which was used for Taiwan Teela figure (wider head with prominent tiara sculpt on the sides of the head) and the more common for Hong Kong, thinner head without prominent tiara sculpt on the sides.

I'm just glad I'm not trying to hunt all these variants down. What a nightmare that would be.
I've got plenty of different variants but there is so damn many once you start looking around.

Thanks for all the info though I think you've cleared up my questions.
I'm 99.9% sure I've re matched the correct parts together.

I only collect vintage loose stuff mainly. I have a few commemorative re-issues. But I keep them MOC.
I'm more interested in having all the different figures complete and no so much about all these different versions.

I do try to match up the same accessory's to my parts where I can though.
I'm sure I have plenty of figures that have parts from all over the world though.

I think I like the look on the Hong Kong and Taiwan versions though. The India one looks good but maybe a little slutty with all that makeup.

Different Teela head sculpts?

Hi all,

wanted to pick your brains for a moment. I picked up a Teela figure at the weekend (she was complete, and only $5, so I couldn't resist). I got her home and put her with my other vintage figures, and noticed something when I stood her next to a Teela I already had.

At first I thought it was just the slightly different paint application to the eyes/eyebrows, but then noticed that it looks like the head sculpts are actually quite different:

Now you can clearly see that my 'new' Teela on the right has a significantly different style head, even down to how the head dress sits. Additionally, we can see here that the colors are slightly different, not only on the hair, but on the boots as well.

So can anyone shed any light on this? is it common? is it like the Star Wars Han Solo all over again? My guess is that the one on the right is older (although both are marked as Mattel Inc 1981 on the back of the neck).

I just thought it was an intriguing variation.

any pointers would be appreciated!

Praise the Emperor and pass the ammunition - for one that will not cure, the other will!

I am on my phone right now so searching isn't easy, but I did find either on here directly or through google to here a thread about teela differences. Try googling or searching on here about teela and India. I think it was about India teela being more anatomically correct in the chest area.

wanted to pick your brains for a moment. I picked up a Teela figure at the weekend (she was complete, and only $5, so I couldn't resist). I got her home and put her with my other vintage figures, and noticed something when I stood her next to a Teela I already had.

At first I thought it was just the slightly different paint application to the eyes/eyebrows, but then noticed that it looks like the head sculpts are actually quite different:

Now you can clearly see that my 'new' Teela on the right has a significantly different style head, even down to how the head dress sits. Additionally, we can see here that the colors are slightly different, not only on the hair, but on the boots as well.

So can anyone shed any light on this? is it common? is it like the Star Wars Han Solo all over again? My guess is that the one on the right is older (although both are marked as Mattel Inc 1981 on the back of the neck).

I just thought it was an intriguing variation.

any pointers would be appreciated!

Those both Teela you have are Hong Kong variants... they were made in two molds.
The first Teela mold is Taiwanian (8-back Teela and Teela 1981), with "fatt" head.
The same "fatt" head mold was used in Hong Kong but only for Teela on US cards 1982-83 and CANADIAN cards 1982-83 (the same ones as the figure from the right at your picture). The left one Hong Kong variant with "thin" head sculpt was from EURO cards 1983.

Check the photo...left (Hong Kong "THIN" head), in the middle (marked "?????") is Teela from EURO card "JORDAN" 1982-83 ("FATT" head) and on the right is the first edition Teela (8 back card) TAIWAN, also from "FATT"head mold.

Explain my Teela's

I know there is a red boot Teela, but these have a lot more difference than just boots. hair color, make up, even the coloring on the body is different. Am I just looking at two figures made in different place?